Corn husking and shelling apparatus and method
OwnerKevis Bennettinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An ear of corn attached to a power driver such as a drill can be husked and or creamed in a two-step process without detaching the ear from the driver. The shelling device uses a spring-biased grater inside a tube to cut the kernels from the cob, and may be used alone or in combination with the husking device. If desired, the two devices can be connected using an ergonomically designed bracket and used sequentially.
Claims7
An apparatus for removing kernels from a husked ear of corn that is rotating about its longitudinal axis, comprising:
- a hollow tube open at both ends;
- a means for cutting the kernels from the ear;
- a means for suspending the cutting means resiliently inside the tube so that when the husked ear of corn is inserted into the tube, the cutting means is pressed against the husked ear of corn by the suspending means;
- the cutting means further comprising a partial cylinder having on its concave surface a grater, the grater further comprising sharp points extending inwardly from the partial cylinder;
- the axis of the partial cylinder being parallel to the axis of the hollow tube;
- the suspending means further comprising at least one helical spring interposed between the convex side of the partial cylinder and the inside of the hollow tube;
- the at least one helical spring being held in compression by at least one threaded fastener, the fastener extending from inside the partial cylinder, through the partial cylinder, through the center of the at least one helical spring, through the wall of the hollow tube, and into a threaded nut;
- the apparatus further comprising a mounting bracket, a means for husking corn ears, and a means for affixing corn ears coaxially to a power driver;
- the mounting bracket connecting the hollow tube with the means for husking corn ears;
- the affixing means comprising an elongate metal screw having an axis and comprising tapered threads at one end, an unthreaded shank at the other, and a flat metal collar fixed to the screw perpendicular to the axis between the tapered threads and the unthreaded shank.
An apparatus for husking and shelling an ear of corn, the ear of corn being rotated axially by a power driver, the power driver being held by one free limb of a person, the apparatus comprising:
- a) means for fixing an ear of corn coaxially on the power driver;
- b) a first hollow tube, open at both ends, having inside the first hollow tube a partial cylinder of a radius sized to fit the surface of a typical husked ear of corn, the partial cylinder being resiliently attached inside the first hollow tube by at least one spring so that when a husked ear of corn is inserted into the first hollow tube, the partial cylinder is pressed against the surface of the husked ear of corn by the at least one spring;
- c) a second hollow tube, open at both ends, having mounted inside it fixedly a bristle brush, the bristle brush being oriented so that the bristles point towards the center of the second hollow tube;
- and
- d) a rigid bracket fastened to the outer surfaces of the first and second hollow tubes, the bracket being shaped to rest on a supporting surface.
A method of husking and shelling an ear of corn with a power driver, the power driver having a chuck, the chuck gripping a mandrel by a shank, the method comprising the steps of:
- a) manually debutting an ear of corn to form a flat end perpendicular to the long axis of the ear;
- b) screwing the mandrel into the flat end of the ear, the mandrel comprising means for fastening the ear coaxially to the power driver;
- c) actuating the power driver;
- d) inserting the ear longitudinally into a husking tube while the power driver is running, the husking tube comprising a inner husking tube wall and means for frictionally removing the husk and silk from the ear;
- e) moving the ear axially in and out of the husking tube while the power driver is running, until the husk and the silk is removed from the ear;
- e) withdrawing the husked ear from the husking tube;
- f) inserting the husked ear into a shelling tube while the power driver is running, the shelling tube comprising an inner shelling tube wall and means for holding a grater in contact with the ear;
- g) moving the ear axially in and out of the shelling tube while the power driver is running, until the kernel material is removed from the ear and leaving a cob;
- and
- h) withdrawing the cob from the shelling tube, stopping the power driver, and unscrewing the mandrel from the cob.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.